NFL All-Rookie Team Through Week 14

There’s only one month left in the NFL regular season. Four weeks for teams to make final playoff pushes and for players to fight for individual honors.

It’s time we looked back on the 2024 draft class and examined how they’ve performed this season. Through 14 weeks of game action, who’s stood out and made the biggest impact among rookies?

I went with base looks for each team: three wide receivers on offense, three cornerbacks on defense. Some positions are stronger than others — cornerback, in particular, was loaded this year. It was a good draft if you needed a corner.

Additionally, weight was given to snaps played, especially on winning teams. If you’re playing a lot and contributing to winning, I may have included you over another player, even if the stats aren’t quite as good.

Offense

QB: Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Although he’s not quite the lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year he was a few weeks ago, Daniels has been nothing short of sensational this season. He’s PFF’s fifth highest-graded quarterback on the season, ahead of studs such as Patrick Mahomes and Geno Smith.

RB: Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While Tyrone Tracy has had nice moments for the Giants, Irving’s emergence was a big part of the resurgence of the Bucs’ offense. He has 18 explosive runs and six explosive receptions on the season, routinely ripping off big plays for a Tampa Bay team chasing a fourth-straight division title.

WR: Malik Nabers, New York Giants

Nabers has been a monster in his first season out of LSU. With a whopping 128 targets so far this season (despite missing several games due to injury), Nabers is just as dynamic as we hoped he could be. He’s shouldering the responsibility of a true No. 1 wide receiver, including all the defensive attention that brings, and still producing at a remarkable clip.

WR: Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

The other rookie receiver out of LSU, Thomas has blown away even his loudest supporters with his production and versatility in his first season. Viewed mostly as a deep threat coming out of college due to his limited route tree, Thomas leads all rookies in receiving yards through Week 14 as a true three-level threat at wide receiver.

WR: Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers

A big part of the skepticism surrounding the Chargers this offseason centered around their receiving corps, as most agreed they didn’t have a difference-making wide receiver. McConkey has changed that narrative, with over 800 receiving yards so far as QB Justin Herbert’s clear-cut go-to target.

TE: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Spending a first-round pick on a tight end is a dicey proposition, as they often take a while to develop or fail to pan out altogether. Bowers has been exactly as good as advertised, however, if not better. He leads all tight ends in receiving yards and is third in PFF grade with an 86.2. Not only that, but he’s on pace to break Mike Ditka’s rookie receiving yardage record for tight ends of 1,076 yards. Bowers has 933 with four games to go. 

LT: Taliese Fuaga, New Orleans Saints

Fuaga played right tackle at Oregon State, yet he’s stepped into the Saints’ starting left tackle spot seamlessly. As expected, he’s been a better run blocker than pass blocker, as he’s still adjusting to the speed of the NFL game in pass pro. But he shows a lot of future promise and should secure a position the Saints have struggled at recently.

LG: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Las Vegas Raiders

Powers-Johnson hasn’t been the day one star many projected, but that shouldn’t take away from what he’s done this season. As a group, the rookie guards have largely disappointed, but Powers-Johnson has been solid. Steady in both pass and run blocking, he’s allowed only two sacks on the season.

C: Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers

Five rookie centers have played at least 300 snaps so far this season, and all have impressed. But Frazier’s been the best of the bunch. Locking down the middle of Pittsburgh’s line, he’s a road-grader in the run game, sitting as PFF’s sixth highest-graded center.

RG: Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers

Lost in the rough season the 49ers are going through has been Puni’s dominance. A third-round pick out of Kansas, Puni is PFF’s fourth highest-graded guard and stabilized what looked to be a major weakness for San Francisco entering the season.

RT: Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers

Much like McConkey, Alt has stepped into a starting role at a key position for the Chargers and is producing right away. He’s been a stalwart, ranking in the top 20 among all tackles in PFF grade and holding his own against some of the league’s best edge rushers.

Defense

ED: Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams

The frontrunner for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Verse is a big reason why the Rams have survived the retirement of Aaron Donald. With 65 total pressures on the season and an 18 percent pass rush win rate, Verse’s production is stellar.

ED: Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts

Latu was the first defensive player taken in the 2024 draft, and he’s held his own living up to that standard. He’s a top 30-graded edge defender per PFF, with four sacks and a solid 14 percent pass rush win rate.

DT: T’Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans

Sweat really brings the beef to the party, pairing with Jeffery Simmons on the Titans’ interior to wreak havoc on a weekly basis. He’s made his biggest impact as a run defender, with 13 run stops and an eye-catching 20.1 percent positively-graded run defense percentage, via PFF.

DT: Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks

It was a slow start for Murphy this season due to being banged up, but he’s picked it up in recent weeks. He has only one sack on the season, but with 16 pressures, he’s creating production from the interior.

LB: Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Despite injury concerns in the draft, Wilson has been a steady starter for the Steelers. He’s a top 10-graded linebacker per PFF, with 55 tackles and an interception so far this season.

LB: Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers

Cooper is as versatile as they come in the middle of the Packers’ defense. More of a sub-package backer, he’s stuffed the stat sheet with 52 tackles, two and a half sacks, and two passes defensed on the season.

CB: Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles

Mitchell’s meteoric rise, from Toledo through the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, to his rookie season, has been nothing short of sensational. He hasn’t allowed more than 30 yards in coverage since Week 4 and has stabilized the back end of Philly’s defense.

CB: Kamari Lassiter, Houston Texans

Derek Stingley Jr. had one of Houston’s outside cornerback spots on lockdown, but the Texans needed someone else to step up. Enter Lassiter, who’s proven a reliable option for the AFC South leaders. He’s allowed just 25 catches on 54 targets this year.

CB: Tarheeb Still, Los Angeles Chargers

This rookie class of slot corners is shaping up to be a legendary one, with Dru Phillips, Tykee Smith, Cooper DeJean, Renardo Green, Mike Sainristil, Jarrian Jones, and others ranging from solid to elite options for their respective teams. But Still stands above the crowd, coming up big in recent weeks for a contending team. He has three interceptions on the year and is a top-five-graded corner by PFF.

S: Evan Williams, Green Bay Packers

For a while, Williams was PFF’s highest-graded safety. He’s still in the top 20, locking down the deep parts of the field in coverage. He’s only allowed one touchdown on the season, with an interception and three passes defended.

S: Malik Mustapha, San Francisco 49ers

With some injuries in the San Francisco secondary, Mustapha has been thrust into a larger role, and he’s delivered. With nine run stops and an interception, Mustapha makes plays all over the field.